Nikon D2H

Page 10:Image Storage & Interface

Review First Posted: 12/18/2003

Image
Storage and Interface
The D2H uses CompactFlash memory cards for image storage, accommodating Type
I and II sizes, as well as Microdrives. The D2H does not come with a memory
card, so plan on purchasing one (or several) separately. As with the original
D1, D1X, and D1H, I was pleased to find the CompactFlash slot very accessible,
letting me quickly change the card while the camera was mounted on a tripod.
The D2H utilizes a folder arrangement that allows users to organize images
in the camera and a sequential frame counter option to avoid problems with
overwriting files when copying them to the computer. It also supports the
FAT32 file system, and so is not hindered by the 2GB limit of FAT16-based
cameras (a significant point if you want to be able to use the really large
flash cards that are now on the market).

Captured images can be individually write-protected via the Protect button
on the rear panel. Write-protected files are only immune to accidental deletion,
not card reformatting. Images are saved at either 2,464 x 1,632 or 1,840
x 1,224 pixels. File formats include several levels of compressed JPEG files
as well as RGB TIFF and RAW data modes. The "raw" file format stores
the data exactly as it comes from the CCD array, either compressed or uncompressed.
Since the "raw" format is proprietary though, it can only be processed
by programs that specifically support it (unlike JPEG files which almost
any program will accept). Nikon's provides its own Nikon View software which
has basic raw conversion capabilities, and offers the more advanced "Nikon
Capture" software as another option. It is likely that Mike Chaney's
Qimage
or Eric Hyman's Bibble
will also offer support for the D2H in future versions since they currently
support other Nikon cameras. Finally, commercial software like Phase One's
Capture One (C1) and
Adobe's Photoshop
CS that supports other Nikon RAW files may also support the D2H in future
versions. The compressed RAW format is a "lossless" compression,
making it difficult to determine the actual amount of compression being used,
since the actual amount of compression will depend heavily on the characteristics
of each image.

Below are the approximate number of images and their compression ratios for
a 256MB CompactFlash card, that really being about the smallest card size
I can see anyone using with this camera. (Think about it, 100 images is only
about 12 seconds at 8 frames per second.)

Resolution/Quality
vs Image Capacity

2,464 x 1,632 Resolution

1,840 x 1,224 Resolution

Images

Approx. File Size

Approx.
Compression

Images

Approx.
File Size

Approx.
Compression

HI
RAW data (Uncompressed)

40

6.3 MB

~1.9
(relative to TIFF)

n/a

n/a

n/a

HI
RAW data (Compressed)

~67
(Varies)

~3.8 MB
(Varies)

~3.2
(Varies)

n/a

n/a

n/a

HI
RGB TIFF

21

12.2 MB

1:1

37

6.8
MB

1:1

Fine
Quality

111

2.3 MB

5:1

195

1.3
MB

5:1

Normal
Quality

217

1.2 MB

10:1

356

719
KB

9:1

Basic
Quality

391

655 KB

18:1

653

392
KB

17:1

The D2H also offers a RAW + JPEG recording mode, but I haven't shown the sizes
above, as the space used will just be the combination of that required for
the RAW and JPEG files of each corresponding size.

The D2H connects to a host computer via a USB v2.0 port. Connecting the D2H
to my main Windows XP workstation (a Sony VAIO, powered by a 2.4 GHz PIV
chip), I clocked the D2H's download speed at an amazing 2.6 Megabyte/second.
This is very fast, although I should hasten to point out that you'll
need a fast card to get this sort of performance. In the case cited above,
I was using a 4GB/40x speed-rated Lexar card.